Artsy with Mya

 This was a pretty interesting biography of a women that strived so hard to be remembered and commemorated by the world, but she never full achieved that feeling and got that fame and prestige that she so desperately wanted.  Miriam Leslie was a woman who came from a hard background and she seized every opportunity in sight to better herself and her circumstances in the eyes of the world. She went through several men, quite a few different scandals and pulled out some truly stunning business deals throughout her life.  This is an extremely well-written and put-together biography, but overall I had a hard time reading just based on the formatting of the story. The author puts Miriam Leslie's story together very well and does not shy away from the different stages of her life that she went through. However, I did not enjoy it as a whole book and would not reach for this again.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Abrams Press to review and this is my honest re...

 I requested this book because the description made it sound like an actual cookbook sprinkled with some anecdotes or stories from the authors but that is not what this book is. There is really only about 5 or so recipes sprinkled throughout the book.  This is a book about the food and culture of North Carolina and how they intertwine and connect with each other throughout history. It is a really good look at different parts of North Carolina and how certain types of food are related to certain areas of North Carolina and the history of why.  However, this is not a cookbook which is what I was thinking this book was when I requested it. This is a good book, but it is not a cookbook so the reader should be aware of that before reading,  I received this book free from NetGalley and the Universtiy of North Carolina Press to review and this is my honest review.  4 out of 5 stars

 I honestly was not sure about this book when I first requested it, but I decided to try it out because I needed a new fiction book to read. The cover really drew me in and the synopsis sealed the deal.  The first chapter absolutely drew me in and convinced me to finish the book. The main character is fantastic. She is strong and smart but needs a little more work on her tact and discreetness in undercover work.  There is a through-line of potential romance and the reader is never quite sure if that will be followed through in this book until the last few chapters. The plotline was really well-written and believable between the female and male main characters.  I honestly would love more stories from this author and with these characters at the investigation agency. The supporting characters offer just a little bit of themselves and leave the reader wanting more and the main characters story leaves the reader ready for the next chapter.  I received this book fre...

I honestly expected to like this book a little bit more than I ended up doing. The title and the description really did a lot to draw me into to the book and made me think that this story would be a little bit more than what it turned out to be. This story is a mystery story with a strong mixing of academic politics and a little bit of academic misogyny as well.   By the end of the book, I thought that the story was just fine. Fine but not something that I would seek out to read again.  The writing and formatting of this book did not help draw me into the story at all, but instead kept breaking my immersion into it. which I have found to be a pattern with this particular style of writing. The characters also did not keep my interest or draw me in in any way. I found them to be rather dry, superficial and insufferable.  I did finish the book and found the conclusion to be satisfying if not particularly surprising. The story was overall fine, but not really something I...

 This is a book about a topic that was not familiar to me, not I daresay it would be familiar to the general population  not close to the places in the book. Throughout learning about slavery and how the enslaved escaped to freedom, I never learned about the existence of this swamp and how so many enslaved people managed to escape and live in this huge swamp.  One thing that I found particularly interesting was the explanation and discussion of the different layers and types of maroonage that existed within the swamp. The way that the different layers of maroonage co-existed and worked with each other to survive was incredible to read about.  Perhaps the most documented types of marooners in the book were the ones that marooned and stayed along the edges and outskirts of the swamp either to use it as a passageway to freedom in the North or because their families were still enslaved and they wanted to stay nearer to them.  But some marooners that there is still n...

 This is a harsh book to read about a hard topic. As the author states at the beginning of the book, they are not going to sugarcoat anything about the time period or the people they are writing about. There are quite a few parts of this book that are hard to read and I had to break it into chunks sometimes, just so I could absorb what the author was writing. Even if you think you know about slavery and that era from school or other places, this book really lays bare aspects of slavery that are not talked about enough and what it was like for those enslaved people.  There is frank writing throughout the book about the choices that those who were enslaved made and what they went through that might have factored into those choices. Those who were enslaved had to often make really hard decisions about how they lived and interacted with not only their fellow enslaved people, but also with those who enslaved them and anyone who was not enslaved.  There is really too much in th...

 A really interesting look at two very powerful women at a time in history where it was hard to be a women in power. There is a lot of weight in this book - a lot of politicking, manipulation, assassinations and more. There is a lot of detail included, most of which are names and dates which can get rather confusing to keep track of while reading.  This is by no means a boring book, but it is also not a fast and fun history book that you can speed through quickly.  Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, but it is not one that I would try reading again in a single day. But if you want to read about obscure history and women that made their own way in the world and survived in a world that had no interest in helping them.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA to review and this is my honest review.  Four out of five stars

 As an audiobook, this book is fine. However, as the narrator of the book points out - there are certain aspects of this book that can only be utilized when read in print format.  This is exactly what the title states it is - a guide - a beginners guide to astrology. I particularly like the fact that it was made clear from the start of the book that this book is about the western zodiac and astrology. They make mention of some of the other types of astrology and  different types of zodiacs, but they make it clear that other sources are needed if the reader wants to learn about these other zodiacs. The narrator also mentions the different types of astrology and how many different iterations that the field of astrology has gone through over the centuries.  If you are interested in astrology at all, this is an excellent overview guide to the Zodiac and provides a lot of information in regards to each sign and how to interpret them. Absolutely recommend this book.  ...

 I honestly never expected to learn or even read so much about the stock market and business acquisitions from a biography but this book was surprisingly informative. about that stuff. There is a lot of information in this book that makes it a very weighty read or listen in this instance.  If you want to be technical about it, there isn't really a closure or an ending to this story. The reader does not know for sure what happened to Alfred Lowenstein and no one ever will at this  point in time - so long after these events took place. There is no 'a-ha' moment at the end, William Norris is reasonably sure that he knows the truth of what occurred that day and wrote the truth about what happened to Lowenstein, but there is no way to be 100% certain.  This audiobook was fine and I listened to it all the way through, but ultimately it is a little too dry and stock heavy for me to be fully drawn into the story or be interested in re-reading it.  I received this audiob...

 If asked to describe this book, the best answer would be "comforting" and "lovely". This story is all about family - the loss of it, the finding and building of it and most of all - all of the different feelings that come with having a family.  Olive as the main character, having just lost her last family member and is trying to figure out what she should do next in this weird time occurring after World War II. So when her old friend Margery comes back to town and decides to operate two different businesses including a boarding house and she wants Olive to manage it.  A classic drama book that manages to skillfully incorporate several ideas and themes from each character into the story. Themes like found family, ableism, living with disabilities and homosexuality are consistent throughout and are written very well. The ending of the story is such a beautiful ending where it is not absolutely perfect but Olive and the others are content and healing. Sometimes what h...

 Chock-full of history, names and details - some that are familiar and some that you probably haven't heard of before.  I really liked how each story and chapter was set up. The feeling of listening in as a grandfather tells his granddaughter and anyone else around about his passion for history is something that transports the reader right alongside the granddaughter. The reader can feel the passion that the grandfather has for this topic and the acceptance and even fun that the granddaughter has spending time with him.  There is a lot of details; names, dates and locations that can make this book a bit hard to read at times if you are not used to it. But the setup of the book works to alleviate that with its clear separation of each story and each assassination attempts.  Forgotten history, unique history and sometimes funny history - full of backstabbing's and plots. A wonderful approach to history and learning.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Cr...

 Whatever I thought that this book was going to be like when I started reading it -  it was so much better. This story has a really slow and steady plot pace and feels almost like a vintage detective story. Which could perhaps be attributed to both the setting of the story and the writing of it as well.  One thing was was really interesting to me during both the requesting and the reading of this book is how the author uses the setting (Paris at the start of Nazi occupation) to define the era and the plot, but it did not overpower it. We as the reader see what is happening through the eyes of the main character and this setting adds to all the characters and their dynamics with each other and the plot.  There are a few different plot lines throughout the story that connect to the main character in such a fun and interesting way. The twists that pop up in the story just come on one after another and really leave the reader wondering if they could have ever seen that c...

 This was a really, really interesting book. Full of fascinating facts, stories and artwork. However, the formatting and font of the book made it rather difficult to read in a e-book format. The words almost appear blurry on the tablet screen and it is rather hard to focus on the reading. So this is a book that I would recommend to definitely get in a print edition - especially a hardcover one.  This book is basically a really good coffee-table book that you wouldn't mind having out cause you'll actually read it.  The pictures, descriptions and stories included in this book are excellent. This does not shy away from the not so nice parts of the art movements and the artists in them.  A fun read, unique and full of details.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion to review and this is my honest review.  Four out of five stars

 If sexy, paranormal thriller is what you are looking for, then this book is a fantastic one to add to your list. However, more than just the sexiness of this, the characters make this story,  There are some really interesting themes throughout the story on being different and trying to fit in even when you know that nothing will ever change and you'll never fit in. The main lead of the story definitely has some abandonment issues and family-related trauma that can be seen throughout most aspects of her story. The secondary lead also has a lot of similar feelings and trauma as well which makes it more understandable that these two latch onto each other so fast and early in the story.  There is definitely a suspension of disbelief around the romance and domesticated love of the two characters, but really not any suspension than other romance/sexy books. It's a little bit of a wish fulfillment in that you as the reader want to have in all just like the main character - the ...

 I believe that this is an excellent translation of the original works insomuch that I can feel the emotions of the work and what the author intended to convey. However, I am not familiar with the works in the original language at all. The difficulties in translating these poems from one language to another was discussed quite in depth at the start of the book due to the meaning and intent behind the work and making sure that it was conveyed properly for the new readers.  This is a beautiful collection of poetry and I am glad that it was translated so that myself and other readers could experience this also.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Pushkin Press to review and this is my honest review.  Four out of five stars

 This story is a cute, fun little coffeeshop read as the main character described one of the books that she was reading during the story (little meta fun ;) ) There is a simple, but heartwarming storyline in this book - which is that of a woman who is trying to rediscover herself after her divorce and figuring out how to start over in a new life. An inheritance from a forgotten relative jumpstarts that process and the overall plot of the book and from there the protagonist starts to rebuild not just her life, but also this house that she inherited.  During this process, she discovers a family mystery and discovers some romance - some which works out and some of which really does not.  This works has excellent writing that really draws the reader in and lets them feel and react for the characters.  This is an excellent slice-of-life comfy mystery story to bring on a trip or read on a chilly afternoon.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Solstice Publish...

 I found that while the overall story and premise of this book is interesting - the flow of the story and even of the audiobook just did not work - it just felt overly long and seemed to go down a lot of derivative paths that seemed to prolong the story unnecessarily.  About half-way through the book is where I felt like the original story could have been condensed and ended, but instead it just kept going.   As I have not read any of the other books in this series I am not familiar with the traditional way that the author chooses to lay out the story of the readers, but ultimately for me while the story was fine and the plot was interesting, it was just too long to keep me interested in completing it.   I received this book free from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media to review and this is my honest review.  Three out of five stars

 Suffragette history has always been full of queer women in all aspects and stages of its evolution. However, these people were not always treated well or respected even among the very movement that they were working with.  The author organized this book into several different sections and talked about how being a queer person affected so many parts of the activism and life that these people were trying to lead.  The different aspects of life that the author discussed  in regards to being queer included how they presented themselves to the public, how they decided to live, how they participated in the suffragette movement and how they mourned and also prepared for their death.  This book is really interesting and shows just how important queer people were to the suffragette movement in every part of its evolution even when they were not appreciated or recognized by the movement at large.  I received this book free from NetGalley and NYU Press to review and ...

 The stories of medical discoveries that have changed the face of the medicine world throughout history are often not recognized by the general public. Rod Tanchanco talks about how that fact was the start of the inspiration to write this book.  The stories in this book talk about the ordinary people that helped change the face of medicine, intentionally or not. These are not the absolute full stories of these people and discoveries, but they are extremely well-written and put together. There is also an extensive list of resources and sources listed at the end of the book that can be used to further research what might interest the readers.  Even if you don't know a lot about medicine or the medical world - this is still a really interesting book to read. It humanizes some of the medical advancements and just what these advancements meant to the people that pioneered them and the people that needed them desperately.  I received this book free from Netgalley and Rod T...

 Aggressively fine is the best way that I can think of this book. It has its fun moments and I finished it, but it is not a book that I will go back to in the future.  The writing style in very blunt and the formatting almost seems cramped when you read it which fits in with the vibe of the story itself.  It reads almost like a children's book and the synopsis seems like it could be that of a children's story, but there is both suggestive and profane language throughout the book. So it is definitely a book for older teens or adults.  This is a perfectly fine book, but it's just not one that I particularly enjoyed.  I received this book free from NetGalley and Ali Ribelli Edizioni to review and this is my honest review. Three out of five stars